Reflecting

I just printed out the reading for the last homework assignment for this class. It's almost over: this class, this month, this semester, this learning season.

As I've been staring at the papers I should be writing, I've been reflecting on what I will be taking from this semester.

What I will be taking from Biblical Heritage is a far greater knowledge of not only the Bible, but Christian ethics and the Christian faith. As I listen to people discuss issues and hear them cite passages from the Bible, I no longer have to take people at their word. I know how to research an ethical issue. I know how to evaluate a biblical argument. Gone are the days when I felt lost in the Bible and the world of questions and answers that it comes with.

I am also taking a world of knowledge from my other classes, especially World V.
...especially World V. That class has completely rocked my world. Completely.

This semester, more than any other, has changed me. No longer am I looking from assignment to assignment and paper to paper. Instead, I am really evaluating and applying what I am learning. I am realizing that what I am learning matters. It matters for my own mental well-being and it matters because it will influence my efficacy as a citizen in the world and within the Christian community.

This semester has also been my least busy since...well, perhaps junior year of high school.

I've realized that I work more efficiently when my days are filled.
That I missed music more than I actually knew.
That I neglected friendships for homework, and that the trade-off wasn't worth it.
That I need to be around people.
That alone time is to be cherished.
That there are a lot more good movies out there than I realized.
That even when school isn't bogging me down, I still have to set aside quiet time for God. God is just as hard to hear when I am socializing as he is when I am studying.
That I still don't have a direction.
That the most important lessons this semester have been learned outside of the classroom.